Steve HumanSEAL McGarrett
by GygyFr
Summary: OS story taking place during the eighth season. Everyone is human. Everyone can be sick. Very sick even. Even the one who doesn't appear to be human… Mainly McDanno bromance 2ND CHAPTER UP
1. Chapter 1

Hello H50 fans! Here we go for my second fic for this show. Almost 500 people have read my first story ('keep talking an nobody explodes') and even with not many reviews, I'm confident that it was good enough. Hopefully. Anyway, time for the second OS!

As we know, Steve SuperSEAL McGarrett is never sick. Of course, he's like Superman! But with a radiation poisoning, your immune system is weakened, which also means that you can get sick more easily. And this is what happens in this story! Steve experiences his first flu, and a severe one (of course).

If you like this short story, leave me a review; maybe I can write something you would like to see, or do a second chapter about Steve's recovery? Or anything? Tell me what you think, and maybe I'll do something ^^

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He felt… Sick. That was weird, wasn't it? He really felt sick. That was a first! Tiny droplets of sweat began to invade his face. It started with his forehead, then his cheeks, and now the integrity of his face. A king if jackhammer was trying to pierce his thick skull, turning his growing headache into a migraine. The least light entering his office blinded him to the point that he had to close his eyes to not get dizzy. A light smile appeared: he didn't feel sick, he WAS sick. Maybe it was just one of those spells the doctor told him about? He could already hear Danny laughing out loud seeing him like this, saying _You, my friend, are human! I knew it! You are human, and YOU. ARE. SICK! SuperSEAL is really sick!_ He smiled again. Yeah, Danny could say that for sure. His entire body was shivering, his legs ready to give up on him anytime. His eyes still closed, he placed his both hands on the desk in front of him, sighing. Maybe he should try one of these breathing techniques he had learned? _Let's try it._ In and out. In and out. Slowly. Very slowly. _Okay, that's not working. Anything else?_ He couldn't even think straight. He straightened, ready to collapse on his couch. He didn't need to open his eyes, he knew his office by heart. Half turn to the left, four steps, quarter turn to the right, seven steps, another quarter turn to the right, two steps back. He finally sat in silence, relieved to feel something cozy enough to crash down and take a nap. A nap! He never took a nap until now. _For a first, today is a good one to try them all!_ As he lay down on the couch, Danny could see Steve in his office through the window. Something was… Off. His friend had his eyes closed, his hands on his desk. It only arrived when they were on a complex case, which wasn't the case as they didn't have any at the time. He frowned, seeing him straightening up and move toward the couch. He only used it when they had a big case and they didn't have time to go back home to catch some sleep. Or when they had a guest. He got up, leaving his office to go see Steve. He stopped at the door, observing him once again. His right arm was on his forehead, he could see a layer of sweat soiling his entire face, and a slight frown. _He's sick._ But Steve wasn't the kind of guy admitting it. Throughout their eight years partnership, Danny had learned to read on Steve. He now could guess pain, concern or even sadness. And now, he could see pain with a pinch of anxiety. He slowly knocked, aware that the least unusual and strong noise could trigger a SEAL reflex, and by that, he meant a gun to the head before he could even draw his own gun. He entered, closing the door behind him. Steve didn't even flinch.

"Hey", he whispered.

"Hey."

 _Yeah, definitely something off._ His voice seemed to come from afar. He saw him frown, swallowing hard as if he was restraining a cough.

"Are you okay?"

 _Stupid question! He will say "I'm okay" in three. Two. One…_

"Yeah… Just a spell."

 _Oah. Steve saying that? No way! He is really, really sick_. But of course, he wouldn't admit it, and with this state, Danny would make only make it worse if he dared to say something else.

"You want, uh… Some water? Or Tylenol?"

He waited for an answer. Ten seconds passed. Twenty seconds.

"Water should be fine."

Danny raised both his brows, surprised. He, however, still said nothing about how sick Steve appeared to him.

"I'll, uh… I'll be right back."

He slowly exited the office, going to the men's room with a glass to pour water inside and go back near Steve as soon as possible. _Why does he keep saying that it's just a spell? This is not a spell._ He didn't pay attention to the joint pair of eyes from Lou, Junior and Tani on him and continued his path. He opened the door once again but stopped when closing it. Something changed within the minute he had spent out of this office. His breathing seemed shallow and rapid. _He is in pain._

"Can you sit up a bit?"

Thirty seconds later, Steve moved to sit on the couch, his eyes still closed. Danny sat next to him, seeing his distress. He was worried now. Steve never appeared that bad before. Well, yes. Once, but it was because he had been shot in the chest and his liver had been damaged beyond repair. He remembered this. But right now? Still, he said nothing, aware that Steve wasn't the kind of guy sharing his feeling and saying that he was sick. _Of course not!_ He placed the glass on his lips, and slowly, he drank the whole contents.

"You should take the rest of the day off. You can't work with this… With this dizzy spell."

 _If he says "I'm fine", I'm gonna kill him myself._

"Come on, I drive you home. You're in no shape to drive."

As he was Steve's lips beginning to move, he continued.

"Don't you dare to say that you're fine, I know you're not. Dizzy spell is not fine, okay?"

Steve said nothing and simply nodded. He wasn't in the mood to argue with his best friend.

"Fine."

 _Oah, Steve giving up so easily? What a chance for me!_ They both got up, probably too fast because Steve could feel the world around him spinning and swinging. He stopped for a second, his eyes still closed.

"Keep your eyes closed if you're feeling dizzy. I'll guide you", he could hear Danny's voice talking to him.

He nodded again, placing his left hand on his friend's shoulder. They both got out of the office, wandering in the main room, around the table. Danny could see Lou, Tani and Junior ready to say something but he asked them to not say anything with just a finger on his lips. They got out of the building, approaching the blue Camaro. _I have to wait for Steve to get sick to finally drive my own car! Please, Dear Lord, get him sick more often!_ He patiently guided Steve to the passenger seat, buckling him before getting himself behind the wheel. The trip to Steve's house was deadly silent. The car had never been this silent before. Fifteen minutes later, Danny parked the car in front of the house. His eyes were still closed, his head leaning on the closed window.

"You're not sleeping, are you?"

"Mh, no… Resting."

"Let's put you to bed before you actually sleep", he said gently.

"Kay."

Danny had trouble getting Steve out of the car. So, imagine him trying to help him go to bed? That was a hell of a ride! But after some struggling, they finally arrived in his bedroom and he collapsed on the bed.

"Hey, get some rest, alright? I'll come back later."

He wanted to say, but his phone just rang; a text from Lou saying that they got a case. He poured some water into a glass again, placing him on the nightstand near his friend.

"See you tonight."

Steve said nothing as Danny got out of the room, then out of the house. He checked his phone, finding the address Lou gave him and drove. Once at the scene, Grover, Tani and Junior surrounded him, worried.

"Danny? What's wrong with Steve?"

"Uh… Dizzy spell."

He didn't like lying to his colleagues, but if Steve was saying that it was one of these spells he could have since his radiation poisoning, it was probably true.

"He convinced you, didn't he?"

"Not really. I'll go check on him tonight. Back to the case, what do we have?"

"Akamu Kealoha. Thirty-six. He worked as a bartender for Mai Tai Bar for seven years now", Tani said, giving him as much information as she could. "He is married to Takisha Kealoha and he had one child."

"Damn. Alright, Noelani?"

"Cause of death, gunshot wound to the heart. Precise and shot at close range. See these marks of burns around the wounds? The weapon must have touched his skin when the bullet went through."

"So, it was premeditated. Revenge?" Junior asked.

"Too soon to tell. Tani, we go see the wife. Junior and Grover, you check with his boss, see if he had enemies or anything. And call Jerry, see if he can find everything about our victim."

They parted, Tani joining Danny in his car while Grover was walking to his jeep with Junior, leaving Noelani to pack the body and take him to the morgue to perform an autopsy. Once inside his car, Tani could see how concerned his new boss was.

"Are you sure McGarrett is okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're concerned. I never saw you concerned about him before. Something off."

"Alright", he said, knowing that he couldn't hide something from his team. "I'm pretty sure it's not a dizzy spell, okay? But Steve is so sure that it's one of them, that…"

"You believe it too", Tani said, interrupting Danny in his explanations. "If you're this concerned about him, why don't we check on him after having talked to the wife?"

"Let's get it done then."

An hour. It took an hour to talk to Akamu's wife and comfort her. A long and stressful hour during which Danny could only think about Steve. He barely listened to the wife, letting Tani lead the interrogation.

"Let's go see the boss. I saw you very concerned."

"Yeah, I don't know why, but I know something's off. I know him for years now, and this is the first time I see him like this."

"The first time? Really?"

"Actually, no. The second time. The first time, he could have died, and I really don't want to go there again."

Tani didn't go further, as she could see the pain in Danny's eyes. This memory was strong enough to trigger a wave of anxiety in her. _My boss could have died? It's not surprising, as he was a SEAL before, but still…_ In less than twenty minutes, Danny parked on the street again and rushed inside the house, heading toward the bedroom on the first floor, closely followed by Tani.

"Steve?"

They both entered the room, and the scene in front of them was awful.

"Steve?" he repeated.

Danny could see him shivering badly, even with a blanket on the top of him. Sweat was profusely staining his cheeks, his skin even paler than when they were in the office. _Oh my God, this is not good._ He approached Steve and placed a hand on his forehead while Tani got out to go to the bathroom.

"Jeez, you're burning up!"

He turned his head around, trying to think about what he could use to get his raging fever down. Tani came back from the bathroom, handing him a thermometer. Hopefully, it was one he could place in Steve's ear. It biped. 103. _It's too much._

"Steve, we have to get your fever down. Now", he said, concerned about how he could do this.

"M'fine mom…"

His concern grew. _Delusional_.

"Alright, that's it. Come on big guy, let's get you in the shower."

This was the only solution he could think about at the time. A cold shower could get his fever down to a more acceptable level.

"Leave me…"

"Not a chance, you animal! If I have to drag you on the floor to get you in the shower, I'll do it without hesitation. So, get your ass off the bed, now."

Steve grunted. _Of course, he does!_ He didn't want to cooperate at all.

"Get away…"

"Get up, you idiot. Come on! Or I'll drag your body. And you know me enough; I'll do it!"

"Get away…"

Danny could help it: he was angry and concerned. Concerned because his friend was in pain and delirious because of the fever, and angry because the latter didn't want to cooperate.

"Alright."

He caught his right arm and forced him to sit on the bed, deciding to not listen to his friend's grunts as he tried to lift him. Slowly and hardly, he dragged him into the bathroom and into the shower. He didn't even bother to take his clothes off; he poured the cold water abundantly on him, holding him on the wall during the whole process. At one point, Steve tried to free himself and struggle, probably not enjoying the icy water dripping on his body. But this time Danny was stronger than him and he wouldn't let go.

"You won't get away from here, Steven. Not a chance", he stated while Steve desperately tried to push him away.

"Get away…"

After a minute of struggling, Steve finally gave up and rested his head on Danny's left shoulder, exhausted. He never felt such a pain before.

"Pain…"

It was barely audible, but the detective heard it. Steve was in pain. _He never says when he's in pain._ It broke his heart. Maybe it was the fever talking, maybe it was Steve, but hearing him say that he was indeed in pain made it feel so real.

"I know, buddy, I know. It'll be over soon. I promise."

Three minutes later, Danny stopped the water and asked Tani to bring him a towel and something to dress up Steve. He couldn't keep those clothes on him. He had a hard time undressing Steve completely in order to dry him and put on fresh clothes. He brought him back to bed, covering him with his blankets as Tani called their forensic doctor to the rescue. It took her fifteen minutes to come to the house and ring the bell. Tani opened the door and let her in.

"Noelani, thanks for coming. It's McGarrett."

"And you couldn't call a doctor?" she complained.

"You're a doctor, aren't you?"

"I'm working in a morgue, with dead people. I'm not used to treating alive people, okay?"

"Yeah, I do know that. But please."

"Fine", she said with a sigh. "Where is he?"

"Bedroom. Danny put him in the shower thirty minutes ago, but it barely worked. His fever is even getting worse."

"Any other symptoms?"

"I don't know, but Danny might know."

As they walked toward the bedroom, Danny explained all the symptoms he had noticed.

"Uh… He complained about a dizzy spell, uh… He felt tired, light-headed, and he's delirious, uh… Probably nauseous. I don't know, he barely talked to me."

"Alright, one step at the time."

They entered the room, Noelani going straight near Steve to examine him carefully. She took his temperature, she checked his lungs and heart with a stethoscope, she checked his pupils with a penlight. But Steve barely flinched or moved in the bed. _Asthenia, high fever, short breath, shiver…_

"He might have caught the flu. Plus, his fever is too high, even after a cold shower. You have to get him to the hospital."

"Steve hates hospitals, especially if he's in here as a patient."

"You don't have a choice, detective. He's dehydrated, and if his fever is still rising and spikes to 104 or more, you can risk a seizure. It's like boiling him alive from the inside. Even a heavily-trained soldier like him can't bear this. You HAVE to get him to the hospital. Now."

"Alright", Danny finally said, sighing.

 _Steve won't love that at all. He's gonna hate me._ And he was sure about it. He forced Steve to get up again, weirdly going down the stairs as he had to bear his own weight and Steve's. He placed him on the passenger seat, putting on his belt, while Tani stepped into the back of the car, calling everyone. The nearest hospital was their destination. _Damn, I hate that._ Ten minutes of driving and Tani helped him getting Steve out before rushing inside the ER.

"I need some help in here!"

Soon, two nurses and a doctor were around them, forcing Steve into a stretcher and going in a room to treat him. Grover, Jerry and Junior arrived about twenty minutes later, asking Danny what were the news, but he didn't have any information. Tani had just called the team, not the other. As it wasn't something big, no need for everyone to invade the waiting room and disturb the other patients. About ten minutes later, a doctor came near them, and ask for his next of kin; Detective Danny Williams. They all stood up as once, concern on all the faces.

"How is he doc?" Danny asked immediately.

"Well, Commander McGarrett caught a very severe flu. As his immune system has been weakened by the radiation poisoning and he apparently never had the flu before, his body reacted badly."

"You can do something, right?"

"We can treat the symptoms yes, but not the virus itself. His fever is very high, and his breathing gives us some concern. We started him on fluids, on anti-viral to slow down the infection, on vitamin D to strengthen his immune system and on ibuprofen for the fever and any pain he could experience. But that's all we can do for now, we have to be patient."

"Can we see him?"

"He needs a lot of rest. And you could catch the flu as well."

"I don't care, I need to see him", Danny said, surprising everyone, including himself. "Listen. When Steve will be awake, he won't be pleased at all to be in a hospital as a patient. I know him enough to know that he will try to remove the IVs and get away without being noticed, okay? I need to be with him so that he won't do anything stupid. Do you understand?"

"I do, Detective Williams, trust me. But your friend is in no shape for any visitors. He needs plenty of rest."

"Don't complain about him trying to get out of bed or panicking then."

Danny wasn't going to give up, but the doctor in front of him had to understand that Steve was heavily-trained in escaping. Even in his condition. But he would soon understand his mistake to not let him be with his best friend. He could hear the doctor sigh heavily.

"Fine. Only one of you, and just to calm him down. He needs plenty of rest."

Danny refrained his smile; he was satisfied.

"Come with me."

He turned toward his three colleagues, but he didn't have time to say a word.

"Don't worry. We can handle the case without the two of you."

He nodded, following the doctor through the hallway. They stopped before a door, and the doctor turned to him.

"As I said earlier, he really needs rest. Such complicated flu can cause a lot of damage, especially when the immune system is weakened, which is the case for the Commander."

"It's that bad?" he asked, a little concerned.

"It is. But it is treatable. With the proper medicines, fluids and a lot of rest. He should be fine within days. His fever should start shutting down in an hour or so, and the other medicines are hopefully already doing their job."

The door opened, Danny entered and stopped where he was. He held his breath, unable to speak. Steve was as pale as the white sheets covering half of his body, the bed was in a half-sitting position, he was hooked to two IVs; one giving him fluids and the other the meds he needed to fight the infection. Three wires were landing out of his gown and were joining one of the two machines near the bed. The other one was controlling the IV drip of medicine. On the screen, he could see his heart rate, his blood pressure given by the BP-cuff carefully stuck around his left arm, his oxygen level and his temperature. A nasal cannula hung beneath his nose, giving him an extra dose of oxygen. His body apparently needed it, according to the doctor. His head tilted slightly to the right, but at least Steve seemed to be sleeping comfortably.

"Upon awakening, he should be a little out of it, probably fighting according to you."

"Don't worry, doc. I will make sure he doesn't."

"He needs the treatment, do you understand?"

"Yes, I do. However, it won't be simple to explain this to my idiot friend here."

The doctor smiled, refraining a laugh.

"I have to go. Call a nurse if anything changes."

"Will do. Thanks again doc."

The doctor left the room while Danny took the chair and moved closer to the bed. He didn't know how much time passed, but after a long and silent agony, he could see Steve stir a little. He said nothing, waiting for him to open his eyes. And he did so after some time.

"Hey."

This word echoed in his head like a bouncing ball. He closed his eyes and frowned, turning his head to the opposite direction from where the voice came, although he had recognized who it belonged to.

"Don't talk…"

His own voice made him suffer like Hell. He frowned heavily. _What a headache!_ He didn't even have the strength to fight. But he could feel everything. He could feel his body shiver despite the heat inside of him. He could feel something stuck in his nose and forcing cool air into his lungs. He could feel two stinging IVs planted in his flesh and pushing an icy liquid through his veins. He could hear low and steady beeps. _A cardiac monitor? Seriously?_ He sighed, finally turning his head to the voice. _Danny is here, I can feel it._

"Danny…"

"Yeah, I'm here", he whispered. "I'm right here."

"Hospital?"

"Had no choice, buddy. You were burning up."

"Shower…"

He understood what he asked: _why didn't you put me in the shower?_

"I did. It didn't work."

"Mh… No spell?"

"Nope. You, my friend, have a severe case of flu. I've never seen such a bad one actually."

"Flu? Never had the flu…" he whispered very slowly.

"That's why it's this severe. Plus, with your radiation poisoning, your body couldn't fight the infection properly."

"What?"

"It weakened your immune system. Hence why you caught the flu for the first time. And why you had such severe symptoms."

"Your fault…"

"My fault? About you being sick or anything else?"

"All your fault…"

"Ah… How is it my fault?"

"Dunno… But it is…"

"Alright, fine. It is my fault, even if I don't know why and how."

He sighed, taking Steve's hand for the first time. The latter squeezed it back, searching some comfort. _This is a first too._

"You scared me, you know?"

"Love you too…"

Danny smiled. Steve was coming back to him.

"I know. I love you too. Get some rest, you need it."

"How long before…"

"Before getting out of it? I don't know, but right now, you need to sleep and fight the flu."

"Lullaby song?"

"In your dreams!" Danny whispered laughing.

Steve closed his eyes, a smile drawn on his face. First time today for everything: he caught the flu, he was holding Danny's hand. But what never changed were his friendly love for his brother and his support.

"Thank you…"

Surprised, Danny couldn't utter a word for a second.

"No need, you human SEAL."

Steve smiled. _Human SEAL? What happened to SuperSEAL?_

"No SuperSEAL?"

"Nope. You caught the flu, which means that you're human, which means I can rest in peace knowing that you're not an alien."

"Mh…"

"Get some sleep, buddy. I got your back. Always."

 _Always… We'll always be there for each other. No matter what, when, why or how._ A promise they had made years ago. A promise they would never break.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Nice amount of reviews for this first chapter! I can see that you loved it, so I decided to write a second chapter. Don't ask me about a third one, I don't have any idea for now (and I think I won't). Anyway, I hope you will like this chapter as much as you liked the first one ^^

Tell me what you think :D

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Eighteen hours. It was the time Steve had spent in the hospital before getting released by his doctor who had worked on his case since the ER. The fever wasn't completely gone, but it had dropped to a more than acceptable level. The fluids and antibiotics provided rehydrated the soldier and helped him fight the bad flu he had contracted. Danny had picked him up at the hospital and made sure he got home before going back to the headquarters in order to help his colleagues find Akamu Kealoha's killer. Of course, Steve had tried to resist him, pretending that he was going to die of boredom in his own house, but his partner had them made a speech about his doctor's words; that he to take it easy for one to two weeks before thinking to resume a normal activity, and to rest a lot above all else. Although the Navy SEAL had arguments to offer, his friend's tenacity and the fact that he had just left the hospital had reluctantly forced him to give up and promise to rest. Half satisfied because he knew Steve by heart, he left him and went straight to the quarters to help. But he wasn't the kind of guy resting quietly in bed for days. Soon, he was bored and got out of his bedroom, changing into a short and a shirt, tying his sports shoes. He went for four miles run and two miles swim, the half of his usual daily jogging. But after three hours pacing around and sighing heavily, he decided to do something he would probably regret at some point. He showered, washing the layer of dirt and sweat of his entire body, of course within the three minutes of a Navy shower, he then dried himself and got dressed. Cargo pants, a simple shirt; he took his medicine, taking some of them for what he was going to do, put his rangers on, took his keys and drove to the headquarters. After twenty minutes, he pushed the door of his workplace, seeing his comrades in front of the mainframe and discussing the case they had taken the day before. Surprised to hear the door and someone entering, they all turned to the noise and opened their eyes wide. Steve McGarrett was standing in front of them as if he had never done anything and ready to work. It was not counting on Detective Danny Williams.

"What. Are you doing here? Huh ?"

"What? I work here. I come here to work every day, don't I?"

Danny sighed in despair. _He's irrecoverable… What have I done to deserve such a partner?_ He turned around, running his hand over his face to try to calm himself down and contain his anger.

"You're a moron, you know that?" he said, turning again. "You have the flu, a very severe flu that, not even a day ago, has bedridden you to the point that I had to drag your ass to the hospital, and in addition, the doctor said you should rest."

 _He's moving his arms incoherently, as every time he's angry at me. That's what makes me laugh every time!_

"Have you ever seen me listen to the doctors?" he stated seriously, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Point taken. But I thought that maybe, for once, you could have. Just for that first time in your life, that wouldn't be that bad."

"Listen, Danny. For now, I feel fine, alright? If I feel tired or… Or if I don't feel well, I promise you, I'm gonna… I'm gonna step down and rest in my office, on the couch. Is that okay with you, honey?"

 _Honey. He only calls me 'honey' when he wants to win an argument. Steve is here, we need a hand. Maybe this time, he could listen to the doctor?_

"Fine", he said, giving up after thirty seconds of playing on 'who will blink first'. "But with your least dizzy thing or anything, you're out. Understood?" He firmly said.

Steve straightened, standing to attention and saluting Danny militarily.

"Sir, yes Sir", he joked, making Junior laugh.

Danny stared at him without even smiling, and seeing his superior with a really straight face, he cleared his throat and went back to work.

"I hate you. I hate you so much, I hope you know that. I'm gonna print it on all your shirts."

"So, what do we have?" Steve asked, smiling at Danny.

"Akamu Kealoha, he was thirty-six and worked as a bartender for Mai Tai Bar for about seven years", Tani explained. "His wife, Takisha Kealoha, is working for Kaʻoihana Company, a company that owns about thirty percent of the shares of manufactures of Oahu Island. They have a three-year-old boy."

"According to Takisha, her husband had no known enemies. He has no record, not even a ticket. He is a model American citizen."

"And according to his boss, he had no problems with any clients."

"Noelani called us earlier to confirm that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the heart at a very close range."

"That doesn't fit the statement. This is not only premeditated, it was an execution."

"Which means that he has at least one enemy out there. And we have to find him."

"His house is already watched by HPD. In case whoever killed Akamu will also attack his family", Grover added.

"Okay, Danny and me, we go back to where he worked and talk to his coworkers. Grover, Tani and Junior, try to find anything in Akamu's life that could trigger this execution. There's something escaping us, and I want to know what. Jerry, find everything you can about the Kealoha Family."

"I'm on it boss."

Everyone went to work; Jerry began to search for all the information he could get about the couple and their respective families, and Junior Lou and Tani began looking for everything they could find about Akamu's past. Steve and Danny came out of the office, the first man taking the keys and getting behind the wheel, much to Danny's despair. After four minutes in the car, Danny's car of course, neither the two of them dared to talk. The heavy silence was annoying Steve. He looked at his partner; he looked scowling and angry. He sighed, trying to relieve the tension between them.

"The car is too quiet."

"Shut up and drive."

Steve laughed silently. _He's pissed at me._

"What, you're not in the mood to talk to me?"

"Exactly, I'm not in the mood right now. I'll tell you why."

 _Uh oh, I'm screwed._ Steve wanted to say something, but he quickly understood that he should be silent for a while. Danny was about to beat him out.

"You. Are sick. You were in the hospital not even five hours ago. I drove you home, thinking that you would listen to the doctor and get some rest. No, don't you dare to interrupt me!" he said angrily when he saw that Steve had opened his mouth.

He sealed his lips once again, waiting patiently for his partner to stop talking.

"I trusted you, man! You never had the flu before, and after a day or so, you think you're gonna be fresh and ready to work? Hell no! The flu shut you down for one to two weeks, okay? You're not ready to go back to work!"

"I told you I would rest wh-…"

"WHY ARE YOU TALKING, YOU NEADERTHAL ANIMAL!"

His raising voice froze the Commander. He had never seen his partner in such an angry state. Never. _Why is he like this today? The case ruined his plan with Charlie and Grace for the weekend, or what?_ He heard Danny sighed heavily.

"You scared the hell off me last night, okay?" he continued with a more gentle tone. "You were burning up, I put you in the shower while you were delirious, I drove you to the hospital, I dropped the case to be with you the entire time, and you? You come back to work just like nothing has ever happened the day after."

Now, Steve understood; he wasn't angry because of the case. He was angry because he didn't rest as excepted. He didn't know what to say, or what to do. He parked the car when he found the first available parking spot and stopped the engine before turning slightly to Danny.

"You were… Worried about me?"

"Not were. I AM. Worried. Okay? You never had the flu until now, the radiation poisoning has weakened your immune system, which means that your body no longer protects you as before. You can get sick anytime now. It's not nothing, you get it? I'm not saying that you've never caught a cold or anything, but... The flu is not something you get rid of in a day. You HAVE to rest."

Steve could see something he had seen only once in his partner's eyes. Real concern and fear. And that was when someone in a helicopter had shot at them while on board a small plane and injured him so much that Danny had to give him half of his liver. He could even see a tear in the corner on his left eye, one he was trying to repress. _Danny is really worried about me then._

"Okay. We drive back home, I'll rest."

Surprised, Danny raised his two eyebrows.

"What, you're giving up? Already?"

"You should be happy, right? You are right, and I'm wrong. What's bothering you?"

"Oh, I'm not bothered at all. I just thought that this discussion would've had more… Arguments."

"Like you said, you're not in the mood, and I'm sick. So, I'll give you what you want and rest, so that you won't be concerned about me anymore."

"You really think I'm stupid? The minute I'll leave you alone in your crazy house, you're gonna do what? Run, swim?"

"Already did while back home."

"What, you… Okay, nevermind. I said nothing. Drive home and give me back my key after that. If I have to assign a cop to keep your ass down to bed and handcuff you to it, I'll do it."

"I know you'll do. I promise I'm gonna rest."

Steve pulled the car out of the parking spot and drove home, throwing the keys at Danny before he entered his front door.

"I'm going back tonight to check on you, okay? You better sleep, drink and eat properly. What a civilized and normal human would do."

"Yes, mom", he said ironically. "I promise to take my medicine, drink to stay hydrated, eat to give my body the strength to clear that virus out of me and sleep to give my body the time to recover its strength."

"Good. Now do what you said and don't do anything restraining yourself. Or stupid."

His only answer was the closing front door. _What a freaking idiot!_ He smiled, shaking his head from side to side. His phone rang, taking him out of his imagination. It was Jerry; he answered.

"Yes, Jerry."

"Are you at the victim's work?"

"Uh… Not yet. Why?"

"I found something interesting. You should come back here."

"Ok. I'm here in twenty minutes."

He hung up and got ready to enter his car, but abruptly changed his mind. He clenched the keys in his right hand and smiled. He didn't have to sit on the passenger side this time; he could look forward to driving his own car. He sat behind the wheel, putting his two hands on it with a big smile. _Damn, I've never driven my car for work that much since yesterday!_ He turned on the engine and drove back to the headquarters. Everyone was waiting for him and Steve, but when he entered the room, everyone turned toward him and frowned.

"What do you have Jerry?" he asked as if nothing had ever happened.

"Where's Steve?" Lou asked, frowning more.

"Uh… Home. I, uh… Convinced him to go back home and rest", he explained, carefully emphasizing the word 'convinced'.

He wasn't sure whether he had indeed convinced Steve to rest or not, but after their little talk in the car, maybe his partner had listened to him? He wanted to believe it, he needed this.

"Convinced? You convinced Lieutenant-Commander Steven McGarrett to follow your advice about him going home and rest?"

"Alright, maybe it's not the world I should have used, but he promised me to rest in his bed. Don't ask me how it happened, I don't even know myself, but… I'll go check on him tonight, just to be sure. Let's focus on the case, shall we?"

"Okay", Jerry started. "I've found something about the Kaʻoihana Company. About three years ago, a very large amount of money was transferred from the main account of the company to a smaller company called Bates Advertising Company, based in Montrose, Colorado. So, I made some research on this company and six weeks after the transfer, it was sold to the Ka'oihana Company and their turnover has almost increased sixfold since."

"How much money we're talking about?"

"A twenty-five million dollars investment. The main Company went from a seven-digit turnover to a nine-digit one."

"Okay, so two options. Either they knew where to make their investments and they got very lucky, or…"

"Or the company soaks into money-laundering. But what's the link between this and Akamu?"

"Alright, theory. Takisha works for this Company, right? As she works for them, she has access to everything about the company's accounts. What if she's discovered everything? If she has planned to reveal everything, then it could have destroyed all the work of a lifetime. Someone is trying to make her shut her mouth with killing her husband."

"Okay Sherlock, that's a good theory, but how we're going to prove that?"

"We need to talk to Takisha, then."

After hours and hours of talk, the victim's wife had told them what she knew about his boss and the company she was working for. Their theory was apparently right; Takisha had discovered all the money-laundering and she had decided to tell the cops everything about it, but her boss found out that she knew about all this. The murder of her husband Akamu was a warning; keep your mouth shut, because we can kill you anytime. The leader of the Kaʻoihana Company had been arrested two hours later, trying to fly out the island and had been charged or murder and money-laundering. But what worried Danny was Steve. All he had been doing for minutes now was to look at his phone every thirty seconds as if waiting for something.

"Why do you have your eyes on your phone all the time? You are waiting for a call?" Lou asked, frowning when he saw Danny like this.

"Huh? Oh, uh… Not really, I, uh… I should've already had a call from Steve, you know?"

"But he didn't? Maybe he is really sleeping and that's why he can't call you?"

"That's the thing, Lou. You don't know Steve the way I know him. He can't do that at daylight, alright? I'm pretty sure, he's out there somewhere, probably swimming or running, or doing something as stupid as he is."

"You want to check on him?"

"Uh… Yeah, I will check on him. The case is closed anyway. Good work everyone. Go home and rest. We all need this."

They parted, the investigation report could wait until tomorrow morning. That was not going to please Danny, but going home to his partner earlier than planned to relieve his conscience and growing concern was much more important than a report. When he entered the house and deactivated the alarm, he could focus on the silence of the room. _Maybe Steve is indeed sleeping?_ He checked all the rooms on the ground floor, passing through the living room in order to enter the kitchen and see if Steve had at least eaten something, but nothing was in the sink and nothing had been moved out of the fridge since the last time he had looked in it. _Maybe he has ordered something?_ He checked the trash. Empty. _Okay, I'm going to kill him._ He didn't eat since his release from the hospital, he surely did not drink either. Maybe he was even outside, basking his pill on the sand, rocked by the sound of the waves. He took a look inside, nothing, nobody. _What, he's really sleeping? No way!_ He devoured the stairs two by two in order to enter Steve's room. He could not miss it, it was the one that was always closed. He carefully knocked on the door and entered slowly, not to disturb his friend if he was asleep. He sounded indeed deeply dreaming. He was leaning on his stomach, his head resting on his right arm while his left arm hung slightly out of bed. He approached slowly, not emitting a sound and frowned. Something was wrong. His phone on the ground, the screen facing the floor. He crouched, taking his phone to put him on his nightstand, but noticed that the light of the screen was turned on. He glanced at it, but he didn't expect that. His eyes grew larger than usual; his name and phone number appeared on it. _He tried to call me? But… On Damn, he passed out before doing so… This is bad._ He passed his right hand on Steve's forehead, then his cheeks.

"You're burning up again", he uttered slightly, unnoticed by his passed-out partner.

He looked around, finding his medicine and a full glass of water. He had to give it to Steve before he had to drag his ass back to the hospital. He ran into the bathroom and searched some clean towels. He opened the main closet and found four or five of them, large enough for the idea he had in mind. He poured cold water and put the first towel in the sink to turn it wet. He wrung it and went back to the room. Steve didn't even move an inch. He pulled the blankets, leaving it up at least to the waist. _He did not even take the time to take off his clothes, he must really have pushed his body too hard._ He swallowed, wondering how his friend would react to the cold towel and placed it on his back. All he could hear was a long groan. Was it pleasure or was it just the fact that the cold contrasted with the warmth he was supposed to feel and it bothered him? He went back to the bathroom, finding a smaller towel to moisten his face. Once soaked with cold water, he came back and began to wipe the sweat beads running down his temple. Whatever he had tried to do, it worked. Steve began to stir and frown, coming back to the land of the living. Very slowly, a pair of blue eyes appeared, making Danny smile.

"Hey, sleeping beauty."

Steve didn't react, nor talk. He continued to pass the small tower on his face, trying to wake him up more than that.

"D'ny…"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm here, Steve."

"Sorry…"

 _Sorry? What did he just say? He said 'sorry', I can't invent it!_

"For what?"

"Couldn't… Couldn't get up…"

 _Okay, he's sorry because he couldn't get up and eat and drink and take his medicine._ While he continued wiping the sweat from his face, Steve continued his whispering.

"Tried to call…"

"Yeah, I know. I know you've tried. That's why I came back earlier; you didn't call me about how much you were bored at home."

The two men smiled. Yes, Danny got worried sick because he had no news from Steve, so he decided to go check on Steve earlier than expected.

"Tired…"

"I know you are. You have the flu, remember? Get some more rest, okay? I'll go make dinner, but right now, you need to take your medicine. You're feeling well enough to get up?"

"Mh… Don't think so."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

He went down the stairs, hurrying into the kitchen to find a straw or anything he could use as a straw. If Steve couldn't get up to drink his meds, then his meds had to come to him. He rushed back into the bedroom, carefully sitting next to his friend and taking the glass and the meds in hand.

"Alright, open your mouth. I'm going to slide your meds in and push a straw on your lips."

"Kay…"

Slowly, Steve opened his mouth, and Danny dropped the first medicine in before placing the straw on his lips so he could swallow it. He did the same with all the medicines he was currently taking, even the regular ones.

"Did you take your anti-rejection treatment?"

"…No…"

Danny opened the drawer of the nightstand and found the medicine. He reads the instructions marked on the box by the pharmacist and took two pills in his hand.

"Mouth open again, please."

Steve did as asked and he swallowed them, his eyes still closed.

"Alright, now get some rest. I'll go make dinner."

"Don't… You better… Clean the kitchen after your… Your mad scientist's food experience."

"Oh, so now, I'm not a good chef? We'll open a restaurant together and you dare to talk about my _bad_ skill as a cook? Be happy to even be sick, I could kick your ass for that."

"Bite me…"

"I will, not today, or for a week or so because you have the flu and I don't want to catch it. Even if my chance of not catching it is reduced to the bare minimum because I am actually taking care of you."

"Should I… Apologize as well if… If I got you sick?"

Knowing that he was referring to their first rule, meaning apologize when you got the other shot, Danny smiled slightly.

"You better. Getting shot, getting sick. Same thing."

"Then go to Hell…"

"I'll go, but after you. You always lead the way, you freaking maniac."

Danny could see a smile appear on Steve's face.

"Now, rest a bit, I'll go cook and don't try to get out of bed before I come back, understood?"

"Yes, mom", Steve said ironically.

One last stare at his partner and Danny got out of the bedroom, leading toward the kitchen to cook something for both of them. He took a look inside the fridge; he had to find something good enough to be consistent and help Steve with his sick state. It wasn't going to be a cakewalk. But he found some leftover chicken, onion, garlic, a couple of eggs and chive. He smiled; he knew what to do. He mostly knew Italian recipes, but he only knew some other foreign ones. He sliced the chicken into strips, beat the eggs, chopped half an onion, two cloves of garlic, and the chive. He boiled water with chicken broth and gradually add ingredients, ending with chicken and beaten eggs. He mixed the time for the eggs to cook and added a hint of chili pepper. A good soup; everything was ready. He turned off the stove, prepared two bowls, put them on the kitchen table and took out two large spoons. He then joined Steve, deeply asleep in his bed, the towel he had used to cool his body and bring down the fever still on his back but this time, it was hot. He entered the bathroom, taking a second towel to moisten it with cold water and replace the first one. Steve stirred once again when he applied the cold towel on his back, and even open his eyes widely.

"Hey again."

"Smells good…", Steve said, inhaling deeply.

"I will clean the kitchen after dinner, don't worry, you human maniac."

"Hope so…"

"You're up to go downstairs and eat a little bit?"

"Yeah, the meds are working."

"Of course they're working, they're here for a reason. Now, come here, I'll help you."

Together, they went downstairs to the kitchen, taking all the time they needed to get down the stairs.

Steve shoved the first spoon after blowing on the contents and stopped immediately. Even sick, he could feel dozens of flavors clashing in his mouth. He even groaned with pleasure.

"What. Is this?"

Danny smiled, not really surprised by Steve's face or words.

"This. Is a Spanish recipe revisited with the leftovers from your fridge."

"Danno, This is… This tastes really good!"

"No longer a bad chef?"

"Not a chance! This, man, is awesome. And you did this with my leftovers?"

"You know. Chicken, eggs, onion, garlic, chive, chili pepper, and chicken broth. What I could find."

"Eight years since we first met in this house, and you can still surprise me."

"I have my secrets too", Danny said, proud of himself. "I'm, uh… I'm glad you like it, actually."

"I don't. I love it. I could get used to this, you know?"

"Don't count on it. If you're going to get sick more often, I won't cook you this every time."

"Even with a 'pretty please'?"

"Yes, Steven, even with a 'pretty please'!

"Jersey freak."

"Human Neanderthal animal."

"Jersey sucks."

"Your infested pineapple hellhole too."

"You like the island. You can't get rid of it."

"You sure about this? I could get out of this awful island as fast as I can say your name."

"Then why you didn't do it yet?"

Danny sighed. _Please, Dear Lord, do not make me say it._

"Because… Because you're my _Ohana_."

Steve's eyes grew wide open, surprised and astonished by his partner, no, his friend's words. He never heard these words coming out of his mouth. _I am his family?_ He smiled back, saying something that warmed Danny's heart.

"I love you too, _kaikaina_."


End file.
